Comments for Scenes From The Battleground https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com
Teaching in British schools
Thu, 14 Feb 2019 23:57:01 +0000
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Comment on The campaign against discipline by dolphinwrite https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2018/12/16/the-campaign-against-discipline/#comment-31610
Thu, 14 Feb 2019 23:57:01 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5340#comment-31610What has happened is many politicians and special interest groups, the media supporting and creating, has created a system that has forgotten what real parenting, real mentorship, and real teaching is all about. Some of this is intentional: they’re seeking to remove real education, which then effectively creates citizens incapable of critical thinking and buying into what is expounded upon in commercials, shows, the media, and political movements. I love dogs. I love cats. But I would never place an animal above humans even though many humans behave worse. But commercials have us thinking upside down, and this, in fact, is the purpose behind many shows and politicians.
Real education is simple beyond belief, perhaps moreso for some teachers and parents. But it’s easier for those who did obtain a quality education, have worked in the “real world” and those who also learned to think for themselves.
I once told a few students I can teach falling off a chair. Why? Because somehow, as I explain on my site, I learned to think for myself. How did this happen? I think moving a lot as a family prevented my learning only one’s school’s ways, but also opened me up to differing cultures and points of view without realizing it. I think the schools I grew up attending were not as politically controlled, so teachers had more range to create interesting lessons and not test us all the time, which would have caused me to further rebel. But most of all, going to work at various jobs prior to completing college, but also working in summer camps where I saw how easy it was to instruct our youth, really opened my eyes. It was during that time that I realized I could learn anything, and quickly. And in the university, how easy it became to garner As, rarely studying more than once a week because I did everything in the class. What did I do? I threw out all the rules and preconceptions. I refused, the second time around, to follow other students’ ways of learning. No all-nighters. No constant rereadings. In fact, I rarely read any chapter more than once. And this, I taught students. If you can understand the first time around what you’re reading, perhaps writing little summaries as you go along, and even draw pictures of what each chapter is about, at home, all you might have to do is read your notes, look at the pictures, and share your thoughts with your parents, siblings, or classmates/friends. It’s that easy. Of course, I had students who learned different techniques, and I told them “whatever works.”
But they are taking everything that makes the good, traditional, creative teacher away. Good means a real adult who understands children, the way children need to be understood: no gimmicks. Traditional because the adults I saw while young knew how to manage classrooms, raise children, and coach. They never felt sorry for us. They expected more. And they did their job. Creative, because teachers find innovative ways to get information across which doesn’t need overtesting. Then, there’s the “feelings” movement and overworry about bullies, the very bullies the system often creates.
There’s much more that can be said. I’ll leave it with one picture: There was a child in one of my classes who was becoming a bully. I could see, without supervision and straight talk, he was becoming less “sensitive” to others. In a sense, he was losing his conscience. Perhaps, with time, he would become one of those kids who would bring “something” to the school, and in fact, he did this once. But after a short stint away, he returned, and I knew my job was beginning. I did not “understand” him (I did, of course.). I did not coddle him. We had a couple small discussions, and I looked him straight in the eyes so he would see I understood the wrong he was thinking about. Yes, you can be afraid of others, but over-reaction will cause you to do very wrong things. He understood. There was no equivocation. He got it. He knew I knew. And whenever he got to feeling sorry for himself, I was there to remind him to get back to work. Never did I feel sorry for him. I knew of his difficult family circumstances, and we did talk about this a couple of times: once to let him share, and another to let him know I understood. But you can’t live in the problems all the time. You have to learn to work, and when things get tough, continue working and deal with life’s problems as they happen. But keep going. That boy’s grades improved markedly. He didn’t need me to hold his hands. He didn’t need me to talk about feelings all the time. And he certainly just wanted his life to be as normal as possible. That’s what I, and many good teachers, do. It’s old school, but it’s effective.
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Comment on 3 ways phonics denialists will try to fool you by teachingbattleground https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/3-ways-phonics-denialists-will-try-to-fool-you/#comment-31606
Thu, 14 Feb 2019 06:16:55 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=4869#comment-316061. You want a single citation to back up a claim about decades of research? That’s not going to happen. But look at the research and that’s what you will find.
2. I can’t think of another term for people who lie in order to keep people ignorant of the science. It’s a pretty standard word for people who do this. See here.
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Comment on 3 ways phonics denialists will try to fool you by watchthisspacecadet https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2017/11/25/3-ways-phonics-denialists-will-try-to-fool-you/#comment-31605
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 12:53:44 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=4869#comment-31605I’m really unconvinced by this blog on the following grounds:
1. There are no references to any sources to back up statements like this: “that the phonics check would penalise good readers …..despite decades of research indicating the opposite” which is unforgivable if you are trying to promote a rational debate.
and
2. the ad hominem attacks on “phonics deniers” which are just rude.
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Comment on Noise by chemistryinthecity https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/noise/#comment-31588
Mon, 11 Feb 2019 20:53:57 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5363#comment-31588One (cynical) problem with excessive noise is the observer effect whenever a guest/senior teacher enters a classroom. The feigned “silent, attentive class” is an irritation. “OK great, now some teaching can occur until the guest/senior teacher leaves the classroom”. No surprises what happens after departure… However it is nice to hear students discussing the work, especially at A-level, but year 10? It’s difficult to remember a sustained period of relevant discussion!
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Comment on Noise by Paul https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/noise/#comment-31580
Sun, 10 Feb 2019 17:14:37 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5363#comment-31580Tedious
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Comment on Noise by Tom Burkard https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/02/09/noise/#comment-31576
Sat, 09 Feb 2019 20:00:02 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5363#comment-31576Other than pairing pupils off for revision or practising, I can think of very few situations where collaborative learning is anything other than an open invitation to make a lot of noise. Even when I was an undergraduate, I was amazed at how little time it took for students to go off message in little ‘study groups’. It didn’t take much to send a discussion off on a totally irrelvant tangent, which as often as not involved what students had seen on TV the night before.

I’ve never seen any merit at all in allowing the sort of low level noise that so many teachers seem to think is acceptable. It’s not just a matter of control, although that is important too–rather, a lot of noise is just so much useless burden on working memory. I suppose my attitude is that if pupils need help with their seatwork, they should raise their hand and the teacher should advise them. At least they’ll get the right answer, and they’ll get it quietly.

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Comment on Top rated posts in 2018 by teachingbattleground https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/01/01/top-rated-posts-in-2018/#comment-31512
Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:06:13 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5350#comment-31512Reblogged this on The Echo Chamber.
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Comment on Why I’m leaving the NEU by Jessica https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/why-im-leaving-the-neu/#comment-31510
Tue, 29 Jan 2019 12:58:27 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5352#comment-31510I think the NEU has rather lost sight of what a trade union is for. It should be there to uphold the rights of workers. Anything else (such as commentary on government education policy) is beyond the remit of a trade union.

Commentary on political decisions and upholding of students’ rights may well be useful or important work, but it is inappropriate for the union to comment UNLESS the political decision (such as underfunding of schools) directly impact workers’ rights (such as increased workload due to bigger class sizes).

Personally, I would argue that poor pupil behaviour and failure of schools to deal with poor behaviour significantly impact teachers’ rights (such as being safe in work) and if anything the unions should be on the opposite side of the behaviour debate.

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Comment on Why I’m leaving the NEU by PlatPlat https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/why-im-leaving-the-neu/#comment-31498
Sun, 27 Jan 2019 23:59:47 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5352#comment-31498I left the NUT for NASUWT nearly two years ago due to party political bias during the general election. The vast majority of union members have no idea about the political causes that their hard-earned subs are funneled into by a tiny proportion of activist members.
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Comment on Why I’m leaving the NEU by Tim https://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/2019/01/26/why-im-leaving-the-neu/#comment-31489
Sat, 26 Jan 2019 21:18:08 +0000http://teachingbattleground.wordpress.com/?p=5352#comment-31489You make some interesting points but the main reason why workers are leaving unions is the lack of actual action to improve conditions for workers. The views of the secretary’s are quite clearly advancing their own interests. What is needed is for teaches to form their own organisations independent from the unions. The struggles by teachers in North America highlights the bankruptcy of the unions that are supposed to speak for the workers. https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/01/24/sell-j24.html
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